About Me

I live in Llantwit Major with my two Children Jessica aged 11 years and Laura aged 10 years, I am President of the Twining Organstion. Chairman of Planing, Chairman of Youth Forum, Chairman of School Gardens Commitee, Chairman of the Citzens Awards, Chairman of the Stillbirth and Childrens memorial Garden, Vice Chairman of S.M.I.L.E, Trustee of Crossroads in the Vale.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Penarth Fairtrade Town Status

I was invited by the Mayor of Penarth Cllr Mark Wilson to attend a presentaion of Fair Trade Town Status, Penarth is the First Town within the Vale of Glamorgan to be awarded this Status.FairTrade food and wine was served at the event which was prepared to the higest standard. I very much enjoyed the eveing and was very impressed with what the Mayor and his Committee had achived. and have pledged to acive Fair Trade Town Stautus for Llantwit Major.

Fairtarde is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers in developing countries.The fair-trade foundation (backed by consumers) is engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness rising and campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.

In May 2000, Garstang in Lancashire declared itself ‘the world’s first Fairtrade Town’. The campaign caught the imagination of local people, the interest of politicians, and made headlines across the north-west – not to mention hugely raising awareness of the FAIRTRADE Mark in the area. March 2005 sees the declaration of the 100th Fairtrade Town. Penarth Town has just become the first trade air town within the Vale of Glamorgan.To become a Fair-trade Town (or any other populated area), 5 goals must be met:The local council must pass a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and serve Fairtrade coffee and tea at its meetings and in offices and canteens. A range of Fairtrade products must be readily available in the area’s shops and served in local cafés and catering establishments (targets are set in relation to population) Fairtrade products must be used by a number of local work places (estate agents, hairdressers etc) and community organisations (churches, schools etc) must have a certain number of retail untits selling fair-trade/servingAttract media coverage and popular support for the campaign A local Fairtrade steering group must be convened to ensure continued commitment to Fairtrade Town status.

The project , which will cost £100 million pounds, was officiallyy started by the Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and networks at the national Assembly, Andrew Davies AM.He commendedd the work of the power station in interrogatingg the scheme.This is good news for Welsh Consumers, for the local environmentt, and for Wales in general.The scheme falls under the large Combustion directive, Which comes into effect in 2008, the new technology uses seawater to convertsulfurr dioxide to sodium sulphate and calcium sulphate, which occur naturally in the sea.Powerstaion manager Clive Smith said that 'This marks an important phase in the FGD project, which has safeguared the life of the power station for the foreseeable future. It shows that Aberthaw is at the forefront of the latest Technology.

Andew Davies Planted a tree to mark the environmental significane of the occasion.

Lorolei Westcott Fete

I attended a Fete held at Flanders Farm in order to raise funds for A young Local Girl Lorelei Westcott.Lorelie aged 13 has achieved a personal best result in Gymnastics, she recently competed in the British open apparatus finals in burton-on-trent and achieved sixth place in the ribbon routine.

She finished overall in the top 10 in Britain, The competition was televised - the first filming of a British gym competition in 12 years.

Lorelei a member of the Welsh Rhythmic Gymnastics National Squad is off to Bulgaria in July for 2 weeks for a training camp where she will be coached and trained by some of the worlds best rhythmic gymnasts.

I was very impressed with what Lorelie had already achieved and also was aware that there was no funding to send Lorelie to Bulgaria. So at the fete I presented her with a cheque for Â£200 from my Charity account towards her costs.

keep an eye out for this young girl in the future. I would not be surprised to see her at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Peace and Hope

I was invited by the Peace and Hope Shop Llantwit Major to a Video presentation of work and life in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.Two Sisters Ixil and Yerenia traveled thousands of Miles from South America to thank the people of the Vale for supporting their community and the coffee farm.

Ixil and Yerenia performed traditional Dances in Costume. More than 80 people attended the evening on June 22nd held at Coastland Family Church in Barry. I was joined by the Mayor of Barry Cllr Olga Cash and her consort Maggie Payne.

The farm, which operates under the fairtrade system, was purchased thanks to donations made at the Peace and Hope shop in Llantwit Major.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and suffered a number of natural disasters.Life is hard, as the country is at risk form earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, landslides and drought.

To celebrate the visit I also attended Illtuds 216 Restaurant in Llantwit Major for a Nicaraguan food evening with coffee form the farm. Which I have to add the food was excellent.

I was so impressed with what the Peace and Hope Charity had achieved, I attended the bethel Baptist Coffee morning presentation were I gave our visitors a Town plaque as a reminder of their visit.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Visit to Aberthaw Power Staion

I was invite along to meet with the Station Manager Clive Smith, HR Business Partner Rihard Smith and the Commerical Ops Manager John Bance. during the day I was given a tour of the station and was able to see first hand the many Changes the Staion are inforcing over the comming years, and was very impressed to see the amount of Community Involvement the Staion has within the Vale of Glamorgan.

Aberthaw Power Station is both a major contributor to the energy economy of South Wales and a home to many rare species of wildlife in the diverse habitats that surround it. The 1,500MW coal-fired power station is one of 8 within the generating portfolio of npower, part of RWE npower. Located on the north bank of the Bristol Channel, near Barry, Aberthaw has around 115ha of land that has been left virtuallyundisturbed since the station became fully operational over 30 years ago. It includes a site of special scientific interest along the shore.

To conserve and enhance the unusual biodiversity of the site, npower has been working inpartnership with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales to formulate a management plan that fits within the Vale of Glamorgan Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP); a strategy for wildlife conservation across the Vale area.Biodiversity is important; it is the natural richness of life on earth, encompassing all species of plants and animals – not just those which are rare or threatened – from microbes to man. However, it is under pressure from human activity throughout the world. Conserving biodiversity brings benefits to businesses, the economy and everyone’s quality of life: helping to maintain natural resources and a stable environment.npower is committed to integrating the principles of sustainable development into our business and operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. We believe that taking action for biodiversity will not only contribute to improved economic performance but also help deliver the objectives of the Government’s sustainable development strategy.The development of the unique habitat mix at Aberthaw The site of Aberthaw Power Station was for centuries a busy trading port. At the mouth of the River Thaw, the port provided tidal docking facilities and flourished until the mid-19th century. By 1900 silting of the river was so bad that shipping was restricted to a few small vessels.

In 1952 Aberthaw was chosen as the most suitable site to build a new power station inresponse to the growing demand for electricity among industrial and domestic users in South Wales. Four years later, it was decided to canalise the river through the marshes, enabling greater potential for land use. A concrete wall was also constructed behind the beaches to improve the sea defences, creating a saline lagoon from what was previously the port basin.Pulverised fuel ash (PFA) from the power station has been mounded on a designated landfill area on the site, developing an unusual habitat where many species of orchid can now be found. It also continues to be a valuable breeding ground for skylarks.

Aberthaw’s Biodiversity Action

Our biodiversity action – developed in partnership with the Wildlife Trust – aims to conserve and enhance the biodiversity at Aberthaw through a programme of surveying, target setting, active management and monitoring.The first stage involved detailed site survey work to record the biodiversity of the site. Habitats and species were then prioritised in the context of national and local plans; a number of the habitats and species also form part of the Vale of Glamorgan LBAP. Management schedules were drawn up and now provide a framework to set targets against which we can measure progress.These targets are integrated into the station’s Environmental Management System and reviewed on a regular basis.Many of the activities are undertaken by the local community and members of our staff who are keen to be actively involved in the conservation of biodiversity on their door-step and in turn make their contribution to conserving the UK’s biodiversity.

Caring for the community and the environment

Through links maintained with local authorities, conservation groups and educational establishments, Aberthaw power station plays an active role in the neighbouring community.It supports local educational initiatives, environmental projects and also encourages visits to the site from schools and other groups from South Wales. By extensive monitoring of site noise levels, emissions to the air and discharges of cooling water into the sea, Aberthaw meets its legal environmental obligations set by the Environment Agency.The environmental record of Aberthaw is open to public scrutiny through the publication of an independentlyverified, annual Environmental Performance Review. Salt marshes on the Aberthaw site are home to a wide variety of wildlife including the Coastal Ladybird and Cranefly. The power station site provides a secure environment for these species to flourish in harmony with a large industrial complex.